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In recent years, China's higher education sector has started to establish special programs to train and support talents to seek career opportunities in the United Nations (UN). To explore these special programs and understand their relationship with China's internationalization strategies and its higher education, we used the center-periphery model as the theoretical framework. We analyzed 53 institutional documents and conducted semi-structured interviews among 5 university staff members and 21 students/recent graduates who were involved in these special programs. The analysis on the special programs implied Chinese higher education's peripheral position in supporting talents to work in the UN. This was reflected by the conforming practice, including accepting current UN recruitment regulations and English's dominance in the UN recruitment practice. However, we also identified alternative dynamics that China and its higher education do not simply obey the center-periphery model and accept their peripheral status. Instead, special programs were established to achieve China's global strategy of moving to the center of international arena via multilateralism and international organizations such as the UN. This study sheds light on further explorations of the state-university relationship in China in the globalization era, especially from the perspective of cultural diplomacy and soft power.

This paper examined to what extent causal explanation speaking tasks (CESTs) are cognitively appropriate for assessing young language learners' (YLLs) L2 speaking. Ninety-six YLLs (48 from Grade 4 and 6 each) in China performed two CESTs in both L1 (Chinese) and L2 (English). They also completed receptive and productive L2 vocabulary size tests. We examined how their CEST performance scores, choice of causal antecedents, and speech utterances were related with language modes of the tasks (L1 vs. L2), grade levels, and L2 vocabulary sizes. L2 CEST performance scores were found to have significant positive correlations with L2 productive vocabulary size. CESTs were found to be generally cognitively appropriate for YLLs because their high scores in L1 performance indicated that performing CESTs is within their L1 capacity. By examining causal connectives used by YLLs, we found that learners from both age groups had cognitive ability sufficient to verbalise causality. Yet YLLs' cognitive ability to interpret and verbalise mental states is still developing and reasoning between causal antecedents that have competing causal relationship with the final state can be cognitively challenging. We discussed the findings with reference to the design of cognitively appropriate CESTs that can assess both language and thinking skills.

Abstract To compare the clinical efficacy of ultrasound cycloplasty (UCP) and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) in the treatment of secondary glaucoma. In a 12-month prospective single-center study, 22 patients with secondary glaucoma were treated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and 23 patients with secondary glaucoma were treated by a semiconductor laser. At the final follow-up, the two groups’ surgical outcomes were compared. A complete success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction of at least 20% from baseline and an IOP of > 5 mmHg and ≦ 21 mmHg, while a qualified success was defined as an IOP reduction of at least 20% from baseline and an IOP of > 5 mmHg. The secondary outcome was the average IOP, number of drugs, and complications at each follow-up compared with the baseline. The average preoperative IOPs in the UCP and ECP groups were 36.4 ± 9.5 mmHg (n = 2.3 drops, n = 0.2 tablets) and 34.5 ± 11.7 mmHg (n = 2.0 drops, n = 0.3 tablets), respectively. In the last follow-up, the success rate of UCP was 54% (with a decrease of 32%) and that of ECP was 65% (with a decrease of 35%), and the P-value between the two groups was > 0.05. However, there was a difference in the average IOP between these two groups 1 day and 1 week after the operation, and the IOP reduction efficiency in the ECP group was better. However, the amount of drug used after these two surgeries was significantly reduced. There were fewer postoperative complications in the UCP group (18 cases) than in the ECP group (35 cases). Both UCP and ECP can effectively reduce IOP in secondary glaucoma, and ECP has a better effect at the early stages. However, UCP has higher safety and tolerance for patients.

This policy review introduces the Policy Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Children, produced by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). This Policy Guidance is the first international‐level output to boost the development of child‐centred AI and relevant policies. A main contribution of this Policy Guidance is that it outlines the foundations, requirements and specific recommendations for developing child‐centred AI and surrounding policies. The shortcomings of this Policy Guidance are also introduced, especially the insufficient gender responsiveness and age sensitivity, plus relatively low representation of the developing world. Possible suggestions for future updates of the Policy Guidance and improving policies on child‐centred AI are provided in this review, such as the inclusion of a broader age range of children during the consultation process. The coexistence of contributions and limitations of this Policy Guidance reflects the situation of development of child‐centred AI and relevant policies, which is currently immature but promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband lasers, e.g., ultrashort lasers, optical supercontinuum, and frequency combs, are revolutionary coherent light sources, which enable a plethora of state‐of‐the‐art applications ranging from precision spectroscopy to optical clocks. However, the spectral broadening of these coherent light sources mainly relies on the third‐order nonlinearity (χ(3)$\left(\chi\right)^{\left(\right. 3 \left.\right)}$) and is difficult to extend to the visible or shorter wavelength regime. Second‐order nonlinearity (χ(2)$\left(\chi\right)^{\left(\right. 2 \left.\right)}$), which is orders of magnitude larger than χ(3)$\left(\chi\right)^{\left(\right. 3 \left.\right)}$, becomes a powerful tool for the frequency translation if its broadband operation is well addressed. Herein, an octave‐spanning second‐harmonic generation scheme is experimentally demonstrated beyond an extremely large frequency range of 135 THz and high conversion efficiency of 1% for sub‐100 pJ for the near‐infrared picosecond supercontinuum in a fiber–waveguide–fiber configuration. The process relies on ultrabroadband birefringence phase matching in the dispersion‐engineered lithium niobate‐on‐insulator ridge microwaveguide. The mode area of microwaveguide well matches with single‐mode lens fiber, reducing coupling loss and ensuring easy packaging. The method provides a new approach to span the wavelength range of coherent light with χ(2)$\left(\chi\right)^{\left(\right. 2 \left.\right)}$‐based wavelength translation for supercontinuum or frequency combs into the visible regime. The result would find applications in spectroscopy, astrophysics, atomic optics, optical synthesis, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Tm), known for causing invasive enteric infections, presents a significant public health challenge. Given the diminishing efficacy of existing antibiotics, it is imperative to explore novel alternatives for the treatment of MDR S. Tm infections. Here, we identified esculetin (EST), a natural coumarin abundant in dietary foods and herbs, as a compound exhibiting broad-spectrum antibacterial properties against a range of MDR bacteria. Our findings demonstrate that EST effectively inhibited the proliferation and expansion of MDR S. Tm in both in vitro experiments and animal models. Specifically, EST significantly downregulated the type 3 secretion system-1 (T3SS-1) virulence expression of MDR S. Tm, thereby preventing its invasion into intestinal epithelial cells. In S. Tm-infected mice, we observed cecal injury characterized by the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, a reduction in goblet cell numbers, a decreased expression of tight junction proteins, and microbial dysbiosis. Conversely, EST treatment ameliorated these pathological changes induced by S. Tm infection and reduced oxidative stress by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, thereby improving intestinal barrier function. These results suggest that dietary coumarins or a targeted plant-based diet may offer a promising strategy to counteract MDR bacteria-induced enteric diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]